Rathalos Weakness, Habitat, and Tactics in Monster Hunter Wilds: A Guardian’s Guide

Monster Hunter Wilds wouldn’t be complete without Rathalos. But this time, the iconic monster looks different. Guardian Rathalos is one of the toughest encounters in the story, introduced as a variant that’s bound to surprise even the series veterans who’ve fought the original countless times.

Regardless of your familiarity with Rathalos’ moveset, there are quite a few changes to be aware of. This guide covers the Guardian Rathalos weaknesses and resistances to prepare accordingly, where to find it, and the best strategy to defeat one of the new guardian variants in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Guardian Rathalos location

You’ll first encounter Guardian Rathalos in Chapter 3, during The Faithful Keepers main mission. As such, all you need to do to unlock the monster is progress through the main questline.

Guardian Rathalos only roams around the Wyveria biome. It can usually be found around 1 and 2. Since Rathalos is flying monster, it’s likely to move, so keep an eye out on the map.

How to prepare for Guardian Rathalos

Guardian Rathalos is part of the main story of Monster Hunter Wilds. As such, its encounter is likely to fit your Hunter Rank at that corresponding moment. Since the encounter occurs during a main mission, you’ll be thrust into the fray after the introductory cutscene. As per usual, whenever you’re asked if you’re ready to depart, make sure that you’re carrying regular and mega potions with you. If you’re short on the latter, take a lap around the biome and loot any honey you come across.

In addition, don’t forget to eat — you can use the portable BBQ to grill a meal. Increasing your health and stamina is essential, as Guardian Rathalos packs a punch. You can use ingredients like Wild Herb as finishing touches to boost your elemental resistance, which is helpful for dealing with Rathalos’ fire.

For later encounters, carrying a few Thunder or Dragon Pods will be beneficial — if either you or one of your teammates have a ranged weapon with Thunder or Dragon Ammo, even better. In terms of armor, prioritize fire resistance, which can be found in sets like the Ajakaran’s.

Guardian Rathalos weakness

Guardian Rathalos’ recommended elemental attacks are Thunder and Dragon. The first encompasses Thunder Ammo, Thunder Pod, Thunder Attack, Critical Element, and Charge Master. The second encompasses Dragon Ammo, Dragon Pod, Dragon Attack, Critical Element, and Charge Master. Both are in addition to your own weapon’s properties.

You can find a breakdown of Guardian Rathalos’ elemental weaknesses and resistances below:

As for the dragon’s weak points and breakable parts, Guardian Rathalos’ weak points are its Mouth and Legs. Its Wings (x2) can be broken, and its Tail can be severed.

Before diving deep into combat strategy, here’s the breakdown of Guardian Rathalos’ weak points:

For details about what to expect in terms of attacks and general behavior, the following section has you covered.

Guardian Rathalos attacks and strategy

Rathalos is the quintessential Monster Hunter encounter, and Guardian Rathalos adds a few more tricks to the pile. There are three main states to keep in consideration, which are usually combined with one another. The first is whenever the creature is on the ground, mostly using its body to attack.

There are quite a few ways in which Rathalos try to hurt you without using fire. If it looks to a side, it’s about to do two tail swipes in a half circle. If you’re directly in front of its mouth, it might try to bite you in a swift movement. Whenever you’re spending too much time near the monster’s wings and legs, it’ll fly upwards slightly and then do a ground slam with its feet. Also, if its mouth is actively on fire, it can also do two swipes in quick succession using its head trying to bite you.

When flying, Guardian Rathalos has multiple attacks used to close the gap between it and your teammates. If it looks in your direction while retracting its body slightly and opening its legs, it means it’s about to fly toward you, hawk-style. It can also swipe its tail at you. It has different variations for flapping its wings rapidly and then following up with a ground slam. One is directly underneath it, and the other is a swipe of sorts that’s almost a slide in roller skates, using its guardian capabilities.

There are also quick flight bursts that Rathalos uses to reposition itself, which can deal damage if you’re on the way. In general, whenever Guardian Rathalos is in the air, using pods or ammo with its corresponding weaknesses (Thunder and Dragon) is a must, especially on any visible wounds. If the flight is close enough to the ground and you’re using, say, a Great Sword or another melee weapon with enough range, try to attack its wings to stun the monster to the ground.

Last but not least, let’s talk about fire. Early on in the fight, the dragon will indicate that it’s about to start using fire by letting a huge growl, which results in a gout of flame coming from its mouth. From this moment on, even if you stop seeing the flame, Rathalos can continue using fire at any moment.

In terms of projectiles, Rathalos can spit fire at you if you’re hanging around close to its body for too long. Alternatively, get too far away from it and it’ll attack from a distance, usually with two blasts. There’s another more deadly attack in which it flies upwards, moves its head to a side, and then proceeds to do a quick spin in place while letting out a fire breath in a circle underneath.

Throughout the fight, it’s key to focus on weak points as much as possible. The Mouth is tricky, as you’ll be exposing yourself to either bites or fire, so you should only focus on it when Rathalos is either stunned on the ground or busy doing another animation. The Legs are an easier target, as you’ll likely be moving toward them during dodges. Don’t underestimate the potential of damaging the Wings and its Tail either — especially the latter if you manage to sever it and reduce its range.

Alongside the usual wound control and dodging fire as much as possible, remember to use traps. The key is to try and get the monster to ground as often as possible to make it easier to attack. If it’s spending a long time in the air, set up a trap and bait it toward you. If you can time a dodge just right, they’ll hit the trap instead.

If you’re wondering what the Guardian Rathalos drops in Monster Hunter Wilds are, you can find a handy list below:

If you’re looking for other creatures to fight, our monster list provides a full rundown of every encounter, while we have specific guides for Doshaguma, Lala Barina, Nu Udra, Rey Dau, and Ajarakan.